Bicycling is booming in Springfield and around the state of Illinois! Many have taken up or resumed cycling for recreation and transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bike shops have seen unprecedented growth in sales at a time when many large cycling events are on hold.

Springfield area residents and visitors are asking where they can take a safe, enjoyable ride. The new Springfield Area Bicycle Map is intended to help meet this need.  

The map was originally produced by Ride Illinois with input from the City of Springfield’s Bicycle Advisory Council and Department of Public Works. Tom Clark, of the BAC spearheaded the effort to update the popular Springfield Area Bicycle Map, working with the Springfield Bicycle Club, Public Works and BAC members. The map is intended to encourage bicycling as a form of recreation and transportation. Local sponsors helped print the map, which can be picked up at local bike shops and at the Visitors Center, which is pictured on the map front.

Map features include:

• Updated on-road bicycle accommodations, color coded for level of cyclist comfort
• Bike trail updates, including the north Sangamon Valley Trail (SVT) extension
• Major bicycle routes, many with new wayfinding signage in place
• Mountain biking areas, such as the Lake Springfield area trails
• Locations of bike repair stations and rest rooms on routes (subject to change)

The map encourages bicycle tourism through:

• Bike Route 66 symbols on bike trails that follow the western Route 66 alignment south along Route 4, including the future south SVT extension 
• Bike routes to Lincoln’s Tomb and other visitor attractions
• A Downtown Springfield bike map showing key points of interest to visitors
• A map of Springfield Bicycle Club’s tour of historic sites in the capital city

The map also serves to recognize Bicycle Friendly Places designated by the League of American Bicyclists, including City of Springfield, University of Illinois Springfield (UIS), Maldaner’s Restaurant and Catering, Illinois Department of Revenue, and the Springfield YMCA, as well as the sponsors of twelve bike repair stations located around the area.

For more information on the Springfield Area Bicycle Map, visit rideillinois.org or email local Ride Illinois contact Tom Clark at tomclark62704@gmail.com.

Last updated March 1, 2021